Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kage, Baragoroshi-hen
by tuesdaylovexx
Summary: In the winter following the end of the cycling June 1983, all is well in Hinamizawa and the "club members" are happier than ever, especially Keiichi and Mion, who are growing much closer. However, the happiness doesn't last as long as they'd hoped, as Rena begins to act strangely, and everyone learns that the Hinamizawa Syndrome may not be totally gone... (On mini-hiatus.)
1. Author's Note

**Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kage**

**Baragoroshi-hen**

**Author's Note Before Story**

Hello! My name is Blaze, and I'm re-writing a Higurashi fanfiction I started a couple of years back. I guess you could say it was somewhat popular and many people asked me to continue it. I'd forgotten about Higurashi for a while, but I've gotten back into the fandom lately, and I really want to see this story completed. So, I'm re-writing what's been done so far (on my old account) and then finishing the story.

I'll explain the dialogue a little bit, so that no one gets confused. As in most stories, a word or two that is italicized is being emphasized if it's in speech. If there's a whole sentence or so in italics, it's a thought by a character. When a word is emphasized in thought, then that word is not in italics, so that it will stand out from the rest of the italicized thought. Whole sentences that are in italics and quotation marks are dialogue from Hanyuu in her spirit form. Her sentences will look different because Rika is the only one who can hear her in that form. When Hanyuu is in her human form, she will have normal-looking dialogue. Rika's speech will be similar to the anime, in which her childish voice is an act, and her true voice is the deeper, more adult one. I'll explain which voice Rika is using if needed.

Also, each chapter (excluding the prologue) will say at the beginning whose point of view the chapter is told in. I'm planning to go through the viewpoints of all the "club members."

I've added the "Kage" to the title of the story because kage means "shadow," and this story goes more in-depth of things that lay in the shadows of the canon Higurashi series – things like romance, mostly, and also conflict between the club members that is based on that romance.

"Baragoroshi-hen" is something I also came up with, and it means "Rose-killing chapter." There is a metaphor behind this that I hope you will figure out on your own as you read the story.

This fanfiction takes place about half a year after the end of Matsuribayashi-hen. This is not one of the worlds trapped in the cycle of June, so time is progressing normally. All characters in this world remember everything they'd been through in the four question and four answer arcs. I don't consider the Rei or Kira anime arcs to be canon here, nor am I taking into consideration any of the manga-exclusive arcs. That being said, this fanfiction will contain spoilers for the main game series.

I'm very excited to continue writing this fanfiction that I loved dearly at the time I started it. To those who read the first version of it years ago, I hope that you'll enjoy this new version more and see improvement in it. The events you'd read in the first two chapters in the old version will be slightly more spaced out in this one, by the way. To those who are reading this for the first time (probably most of you), I hope you like it! Please review, if you can. If you have anything negative to say, please do so in a mature and constructive manner.

Now, on to the story!

-Blaze


	2. Prologue

**Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kage**

**Baragoroshi-hen**

**Prologue**

In that moment, they were aware of only three things.

One: As their wounds bled profusely, and as they watched drops of their own blood splash against the ground, they could've sworn they could see the last thread of trust between them snapping. That one tiny piece of hope that they held for each other was gone. Recollections of their happy pasts spun before their eyes and mixed with their tears, and neither one could decide if their wounds actually hurt worse than their hearts.

Two: They were both aware that the reason they dueled was not a good one, and that if this person knew what kind of trouble they'd caused, they would be angry, but this did not stop them. The way they saw it, this battle was inevitable. They'd tried to run – oh, how they had tried to run from it all – but there was no way to avoid what had to be done.

Three: There would be consequences in both their bodies and their relationships. Who would care for them now that they'd done something so drastic? Who would take claim to knowing them after they'd done these terrible things? Would they even live through the night to explain how the situation had gotten so far?

Every other thought in the world was gone; unimportant in their eyes. Everything else was dead to them. They were unaware to the voices in the distance, calling their names, and unaware to the way their legs and arms shook with fatigue. Nothing mattered more to each one than taking the life of the other – taking revenge on on the one who wanted to steal what mattered most to them.

The sudden clang of metal ripped through the trees as their weapons collided. They cringed at the screech of steel, and one of them pulled their weapon back to end the sound. The other took the opportunity to bring her own weapon across the shoulder of their opponent.

A scream echoed as more blood hit the ground.

* * *

"It's almost like a dance. Of death, of pain, of envy... A dance of broken hearts, mangled love, and friendships destroyed beyond repair. Beautifully performed choreography, this dance has. Can you see the rhythm in the way they clash and collide, Hanyuu?"

"_I'm sorry, Rika. I'm so sorry._"

"You did not answer my question." Rika glanced at the spirit floating beside her.

With a sigh, the spirit muttered quietly, "_Yes, I suppose there is a sort of rhythm here._" She rested her hand on Rika's shoulder and squeezed gently. "_Are you afraid? Do you think this means we've fallen back in the loop?_"

Rika shook her head. "No. We will never fall back into that horrid cycle again." Her dark voice was determined. She turned her head to Hanyuu and narrowed her eyes. "Why do you ask? Are you expecting this world to end soon?" she accused.

Hanyuu retorted, "_No! Of course not!" _In a gentler, sadder tone, she added,_ "I just don't see how things could ever go back to normal after this. Many things have been broken that will never be repaired._"

"We can try," Rika said suddenly. "We can try our hardest to fix these things, and that's all we can do. Fate has always been our problem to fix, it seems." The corner of her lips turned up in a little smile. "This time will be no different."

A scream interrupted their conversation, and Rika's attention snapped back to the battle she was watching from the steps of Furude Shrine. In the forest before them stood one girl beside a body lying on the ground next to her. The smell of blood hung in the air, and Rika let a single tear fall.


	3. Chapter One

**A note from the authoress...**

_I hope you all enjoy the first full chapter of the story! I apologize for how long it took me to get this posted. I've had a bit of post-concert depression, and NaNoWriMo has been keeping me busy. Therefore, this chapter is definitely not that good. I know the ending sounds weak, and that's because I had to rush to re-write the last part of the chapter, so it's not too different than the first version was. I apologize, and promise that I'll work harder to make the future chapters better._

_Reviews from anyone who reads this would be hugely appreciated; also, thanks for the three I've got so far! I don't mind if y'all point out any mistakes I've made, because that helps me become a better writer, which is always my goal. _

_Enough rambling for now! On with chapter one of Baragoroshi-hen! _

**Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kage**

**Baragoroshi-hen**

**Chapter One**

**(Keiichi's POV)**

As the cries of the higurashi cicadas pulled me slowly from my dreams, I could feel the warm sunlight beaming on me through the bedroom window. The warmth was quite appreciated on that chilly autumn morning, and those cicadas were loud, but their song was quite relaxing, in a way… I felt like I could've lay there on my futon forever, in that lovely state of blissful half-sleep, but cold realization hit me like a brick to the face.

_It's Monday…_

I let out a quiet sigh. _School. Great. I don't even feel like it… _Which was partially a lie; I knew I'd feel fine once I got up, but the hardest part would be dragging myself from an extremely comfortable futon. _Mom and Dad still have another week out of town. I could skip school today… Ugh, I'd never hear the end of it from Mion or Satoko._

I kept lying there, listening to the minutes tick by on the clock and struggling to stay at least somewhat conscious, but my eyes were still closed. _I know they're waiting for me, but I guess they'll eventually get tired of waiting and go on without me. _Satisfied with that option and deciding to let them go to school without me, I stopped fighting the tired feeling that practically chained me to the futon and was almost asleep instantly.

That is, until I felt a warm puff of air on my forehead.

**"**What the-?!" I was instantly jolted from sleep and I sat up as quickly as I could in panic, and my forehead collided with something hard that cried "ouch!" The force made me dizzy as I struggled to find my balance and stand up, looking around the room wildly.

**"**Keiichi-kun, that hurt!" I knew that voice well, but still, this was strange.

**"**R-Rena?!"

The redheaded girl sat before me, at the head of my futon, holding one hand to her forehead. I could see tears welling in her pretty blue eyes as she looked up at me with a slight scowl. "Why'd you do that, Keiichi-kun? Why?"

I gawked at her. How could she not understand why I would be scared?! But I couldn't yell at her; Rena was a sensitive girl. Gently, I explained to her, "Well, I'm not used to waking up to someone's face hovering over mine. You startled me a bit." I reached out a hand to help her up, and gently pulled away the hand still on her forehead. There was a big red spot that would probably become a bruise later, but there was no serious harm done. "What are you doing in my room, anyway? Were you watching me sleep?"

She gave me her usual cheerful smile, as though I hadn't smashed my head into hers and then spoken kind of rudely to her. "Well, I waited for you at our usual meeting place, but you never came. Mii-chan came looking for us, and we were worried about you, so we decided to come check on you!"

I smiled back at her. It was kind of sweet of her to worry about me like that. "Okay, but what were you doing in here?"

Confirming my suspicious, she exclaimed, "Watching you sleep! You were so cute!" I shook my head fondly, then ruffled her hair. I couldn't be mad at her, even if she did weird things sometimes.

**"**Okay, I'm up now. If you could just give me a few minutes to get ready, I'll be down in a minute, okay?" She smiled, then turned and left. As I heard her footsteps on the stairs fade away, and with a still-throbbing forehead, I began searching for my school uniform.

* * *

About five minutes later, after I was dressed and somewhat combed my hair, I walked into the living room to see Rena sitting on the couch and tapping her feet. "Okay, let's go," I said.

**"**Mii-chan, let's go!" Rena called as she stood and picked up her books from the coffee table. Only then did I notice that Mion wasn't actually in the room, and that worried me. _Where _is _Mion? Hiding some bodies, maybe?_

A muffled reply sounded from the kitchen: "Holf onf, guyfs!" _The heck…?_

**"**What…?" Rena muttered quietly as we both peered around the corner into the kitchen with puzzled expressions. I was surprised by the sight of Mion standing in front of the fridge and holding a box of leftovers that my mom had made, stuffing her face and almost swallowing them whole. She froze when she noticed us watching, and for a moment, we all stood there in complete silence.

Rena and I exchanged an awkward glance as Mion slowly put the lid on the box and placed it back in the fridge. "Um… I can explain…?"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm sure you can."

She scratched the back of her head nervously and gave me a sly smile. "Eh… sorry, Kei-chan. I woke up late, too, and I didn't get to eat anything at home."

**"**So you just come into my house and start eating my food?"**"**Yep!" she cheered, completely unashamed. I rolled my eyes, but, like with Rena, I couldn't be mad at Mion. She was my best friend, and I'd learned to expect these things from her.

**"**We're going to be late!" Rena cried suddenly.

**"**Oh, right!" Mion closed the fridge door, grabbed her bag from the kitchen table, and rushed out after Rena. I followed them, closed and locked the front door behind me, and we were on our way.

* * *

**"**Late!"

My first greeting when I walked into the classroom was by a very familiar young voice. "Ugh… Good morning, Satoko," I grumbled.

Satoko crossed her arms. "A nice 'good morning' isn't going to change anything, Keiichi-san! You're late, and that's that!" She nagged, wearing a little smirk on her face. I think teasing me must be this little brat's favorite thing in the world.

I glanced at my watch. "…By only two minutes."

**"**Still late," she replied smugly. I noticed that she'd let Mion and Rena pass right by her without a single scolding.

I knew there was no point in picking an argument with Satoko, but I did it anyway. "What does it matter? Since when do you care so much about school?"

**"**O ho ho ho!" She gave that infamous laugh of hers. "But did you forget that today is when The Master will once again battle with the mere Apprentice, and defeat her once and for all?"

Okay, she lost me there. "Wha…?"A gentler voice sounded behind me. "I think Satoko is referring to the game we're playing in club today, nano desu." I turned to see Rika-chan standing beside me. "She's having a re-match against Mion in Old Geezer today, desu."

**"**Awesome! So I'll get to see Satoko lose again?"

**"**Keiichi-saaaan!" Satoko cried, tears welling up in her deep amber eyes. "I've never lost once in my life, and you know that!"

**"**So, it's not that you don't lose, it's just that everyone else always wins, right?" I pushed it a little too far. Satoko was actually crying a little bit, and then she wailed:

**"**Nii-nii!"

_No, Satoko! Don't-_

**"**Satoko!"I was shoved out of the way as Satoshi ran over to his little sister, petting her head and asking, "What'd he do to you? Are you okay?" He was way too soft on her. Satoko was already smiling evilly again, telling me that she was faking her tantrum. Satoshi only glared at me.

"Whatever," I muttered as I turned and stalked off towards my desk. _This is already a great morning, _I thought sarcastically. Just as I was about to get to my seat, I felt something my ankle and before I knew it, I was face-down on the floor. I groaned and made no attempt to move, wishing very much that I was still at home.

"Kei-chan! Are you okay?"

I immediately jumped up, quickly realizing that lying on the floor probably wasn't helping me look less stupid than I already did that morning. I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder as I stood. "Mion? What the-" I cut myself off as I looked to the desk and saw long, flowing hair rather than the ponytail I was expecting. "Oh, Shion." She had sounded just like her twin sister, and I expected it to be her because I never even saw Shion come into class, but she sat there with a concerned expression in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Kei-chan! I wasn't paying attention to how far my feet were out in front of the desk... Are you okay?" She reached out a hand to my hurting shoulder, but I shrugged her away.

"Yeah," I said as I winced at the pain. "Just leave me alone, please."

As I finally reached my desk in one, alive piece, and sat down, Chie-sensei was just coming into class. Mion led the class in the usual morning cheer, and our teacher soon started helping the younger kids with their work, as usual. Once she was distracted, I felt a small finger tapping on my shoulder, followed by a gentle voice, "I know Satoko and Satoshi got you all mad, but please don't take it out on Shion."

I sighed. Hanyuu was right, but I was in one of those moods that I can't just be talked out of. While I felt like ranting about how Satoko always loved to get her older brother mad at me, I knew better than to start an argument with the young girl who was actually the Oyashiro-sama – a great spirit feared by the whole of Hinamizawa.

Mion, who sat beside me, whispered my name to get my attention, and with a slight twinge of a feeling in my gut – butterflies, perhaps? - I turned to look at her. Her face looked serious, and in a dark tone, she asked, "What's wrong, Kei-chan?"

"Nothing." The coldness in my voice surprised me even more than it surprised her, I think. Perhaps Shion would've been upset by it, but Mion only placed her fluffy white jacket on the chair space between the two of us, slid her hand underneath, and pulled mine under. She lay her hand over mine and began rubbing the back of my hand softly with her thumb. It was a surprising gesture from a tomboy like her, but it was sweet, and it lightened my mood a little bit.

No one in the class noticed, but Mion and I held hands on and off through most of the day. At one point around lunch, I thought to myself that Mion Sonozaki was most definitely my best friend. I was glad that she could be a rough tomboy who liked guy stuff like wrestling with me and talking a little bit inappropriately about the female members of our club, but she could also be a very feminine girl who would worry about me to the ends of the earth. I was very grateful for that.

* * *

"I win!" declared Satoko, as a smile stretched wide across her face.

_...Why do I even try? _I thought for sure that Mion would be able to win that game of Old Maid, because she usually did, but Satoko somehow managed to have all the right cards, and Mion had all the wrong. I wondered if maybe she had cheated, but she had such a pure and innocent smile on her face. She was honestly surprised and happy that she won. _Nah, she was just lucky, I guess. _Satoko was like a little sister to me and I couldn't stay upset with her or accuse her like I could long ago.

Anyway, she won, and adhering to the rules of Mion's after-school club, the loser must receive a punishment of some sort. However, in today's match, it was pre-decided that everyone who didn't win would be given punishments.

Satoko stood up in her chair and addressed the club members. "Unworthy opponents! You all fought decently, but I still defeated you all, and so it's time for punishments!"

She pointed to Mion first. "Mion-san! Since you put up quite the humorously good fight, your punishment will not be severe, lucky apprentice! Tomorrow, you will carry my bag and books home." Mion smirked, then shot a glance at me; that's when I knew that Satoko was saving the worst punishment for last, and for me.

"Rena-san! You have to wear the maid outfit for the rest of the day, even once you get home." I objected in my mind that it wasn't fair, because Rena loved that maid outdit. Her eyes began to sparkle as she entered her "omochikaeri" mode, and within moments, she was already up to dig through Mion's locker and find the dress.

"Rika! Hanyuu! You're off the hook today. So are my nii-nii and nee-nee!"

"Hey!" I shouted, standing up quickly and pointing an accusing finger at Satoko. "That's not fair! Why shouldn't they get punished? They lost just like everyone else did!"

"O ho ho ho!" Satoko laughed. "Because they're always nice to me. And besides, I can't punish Rika." In a tone of voice that I couldn't identify as serious or joking, she added, "I wouldn't want her to _torture _me again."

I didn't even ask. I was pretty sure I didn't want to know. She continued with a menacing tone, "But you, Keiichi-san..."

_Maybe I could run for it... But what if she's got a trap set up at the door?_

"You have to wear the cat ears, bell, and tail home every day for the rest of the week!"

_Why me?_ Audibly, I objected, "Why would you subject me to that kind of treatment, Satoko?" I may as well have not said anything, as those girls always get what they want in club.

Mion laughed and patted me on the back. "Oh, come on, Kei-chan! It'll be fun!"

I arched an eyebrow at her. "Then what's your definition of fun?"

She smiled gently – almost a little too gently for Mion. I glanced at her ponytail to assure that it was Mion, and not Shion. She cheered, "Watching you be miserable!" Still, her voice was a bit gentle, and she gave me smile that wasn't so Mion-like, and was almost more Rena-like.

After Mion dismissed the club, Shion called her away from everyone else, leaving me alone to clean up from the game and re-arrange the desks in their proper order. I watched them in my peripheral vision, and it seemed that Mion wore a curious expression through most of their talk, but Shion looked quite worried. I wasn't able to catch what they were saying from across the room, but Shion must've said something that made Mion mad, because she suddenly yelled very loudly, "Shut up, Shion!"

Everyone else had already left, so it was only me who was startled and looked at Mion with wide eyes. She stormed past me, grabbed her bag, and rushed out the classroom door. I called after her, "Mion! Wait up!"

As I started to go after her, Shion caught me by the arm and whispered, "Let's leave her alone for a while." I nodded. Since Satoko had left before I even changed into the cat outfit, I decided that now was not the time to obey the blonde's command, and Shion and I left the classroom once we saw Mion walking outside.

I noticed that Shion was carrying a stack of books that looked quite heavy. "They're Onee's," she explained, using her usual nickname for her sister. I offered to carry the books, but she wouldn't let me. "I need to do something nice for her to make up for angering her." I knew that book-carrying likely wouldn't fix it, though. Whatever Shion had said to her sister, it made her mad. _Really _mad.

"So... what did you say to her, anyway?" I asked casually, hoping that she'd actually tell me. Shion hesitated and looked down at the ground for a long moment as we walked, and I realized that whatever they talked about wasn't some silly girl-related thing – it must've been a serious problem. I wondered for a moment if maybe I should've just stayed out of it, but when Shion looked up at me again, there was a pleading her eyes that made me feel bad for her, so I asked her to continue.

"I think Onee's been doing something... bad." She said quite suddenly in a monotone.

"Bad?" I echoed. "As in?"

Shion opened her mouth to reply as we made our way out of the front door of the school, but Mion called my name. Shion looked surprised. "Well, at least she still wants to talk to you, it seems." I rubbed Shion's head and gave her an apologetic smile as I ran ahead to catch up with Mion, who'd been walking about ten meters in front of us.

She was silent as I approached her, and for a moment, all I could hear were the cries of the higurashi and the scuffle of our shoes in the dust. As we continued in quiet, I looked around at the trees and wondered how the higurashi were still alive in autumn. It hadn't gotten very cold yet, except in the mornings, and I decided that perhaps they were living their last days.

My train of thought was broken as I felt a hand gently winding its fingers around mine. I instinctively flinched and pulled my hand away before I realized that it had to be Mion, and I felt bad for doing so. "Sorry," I heard Mion mutter.

"No, it's fine," I said, and only seconds later, her hand brushed against mine. The corners of my lips turned up in a little smile as I accepted her hand that time, locking her fingers with mine. Her face turned bright red in a blush, and so did mine, but I tried not to act nervous. I truly did like Mion enough to hold her hand without being so anxious.

To be honest, I loved her. I'd never really told her that. I tried once, in one of the past worlds. I was shot by Takano-san, and while I had laid on the ground, slowly dying, I couldn't think of anything but how badly my heart hurt – not because of the bullet in it, but because of how sad Mion was. She held my hand and cried, and it was one of the most painful things I'd ever seen. I tried to tell her "I love you," but it could never come out. She never knew.

But, this was a new world, and hopefully one that we would all be in for years to come. I had my chance again. I knew that she at least had a huge crush on me – I didn't know if it was love.

As though she knew what I was thinking about, she asked, "Kei-chan? Do you care about me?"

I stopped, not expecting that kind of question at that time, and I felt something bump into my back. _Shion? Were you listening to us?_ We all stood there for a moment until the tension made the air almost too thick to breathe, and Shion finally said awkwardly, "I'll just go on home, Onee. See you later, Kei-chan!"

Once Shion was far out of sight, Mion asked again, "Do you care about me? Honestly?" She squeezed my hand, and I couldn't help but wonder why she'd ask me such a thing. It was out of character for her.

I didn't have to think about that for long. Sure, she could be downright annoying at times, and could cause me trouble, but that's what made her so fun and energetic. That flaw-filled personality is the one I fell for. She was most definitely my best friend, too. No matter what problem I ever had or how I ever felt, she would always be there to listen and help as much as she could. She knew things I'd never told anyone else in the world. She understood me, and she cared about me.

I lifted my free hand to her chin and gently turned her face towards me. Her eyes were wide with a mixture of fear and adrenaline, and her whole face was bright red. "Mion, of course I care about you. You're my best friend." Another pretty smile spread across her face.

"Then let me ask you something else, Kei-chan." She bit her lip, as though she were nervous, and asked me, "How _much _do you care about me?"

Butterflies seemed to fill my stomach. She was acting so much like Shion would, and I wondered briefly if maybe it was Shion, in some kind of prank that Mion had set up. _No, _I decided. There was still that tomboyish look on her face. This was Mion – my Mion.

I let go of her hand and pulled her into a tight hug, wrapping my arms around her small waist and holding her close. She was tense for only a moment, but she soon relaxed and I felt her arms around my neck. We stood there, in the deepest hug I'd ever had in my life, for what felt like hours. It was over far too soon, though.

She pulled away with tears in her pretty eyes. "I'm sorry, Kei-chan. I don't mean to be so emotional."

I just smiled at her and lifted a finger to catch the tear that had started to run down her face. "It's okay, Mion. Really."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

She gave me a gentle smile, and we set off on our way again in silence. I wanted to hold her hand again, but she never made the first move to hold mine as she did before, so I didn't try, either. Once we reached the building and little mill where we usually said goodbye each day, instead of parting words, Mion asked me, "Kei-chan, didn't you ask me the other day if you wanted to borrow a manga?"

I'd forgotten about it until she said something about it, but yeah, I had asked her to borrow the first volume of some new manga series she'd found. "Yeah. Do you want me to pick it up now, or...?"

"Yeah, now is fine," she said. "I mean, if you have time."

"I do," I said, and so I followed Mion on the way to her house.

The Sonozaki house was much bigger than I'd remembered. As we approached the main door, Mion said quietly, "come on," and stepped inside first. I followed nervously behind her. "I gotta go tell Bachan that I'm back, so you can just go on to my room, if you want." Her voice sounded nervous again and she was gone before I could even ask her where her room was.

I gotta admit, it was hard finding just one specific room in that whole house. It's huge on the inside! I was scared of running into one of the other Sonozakis, who would not be pleased to find a teenage boy in their house. I eventually found Mion's room, and when I walked in, the first thing I noticed was a doll sitting on a desk.

It was the same doll I'd given to her long ago, not even in this world. How did it manage to go through the different fragments with us? I made a mental note to ask Hanyuu about it later.

"Kei-chan!" A voice sneered from behind me, "And may I ask what you're doing in Onee's room?"

"Shion?!" I turned around and, sure enough, Shion was standing in the doorway, already changed out of her school uniform. There was a mischievous smirk on her face.

She chimed, "Oh, I didn't realize you two were so serious!"

It took a moment for me to understand what she really meant by that, but when I did, I raged, "What? No! It's not like that!" No matter how much I wished it was...

She laughed, "Then what are you doing in my sister's room, eh? If you're so serious with her, then I suggest you not do anything in here. Bachan will probably come walking in on your make-out session!"

Gritting my teeth, I shot back, "Shut up, Shion! I don't like her like that!" Which was a total lie.

That smirk she was wearing suddenly fell. "Oh, really?"

"Really. She told me to come up here and wait for her-" I stopped myself as I realized how wrong that sounded. "I'm just here to borrow a manga!"

For a few heartbeats, I thought I'd made Shion mad. Her eyes were empty for a few moments, but the dramatic air vanished with another one of her, well... "Shion-ish" remarks.

"But how do you know that's the real reason she wanted you in her room? Asking you to come borrow a manga may just be her way to get you into her hands."

"SHION!"

She burst into laughter again. "Sorry, Kei-chan, but you know how that story goes..."

I sighed. She was remembering some past world. "That was a long time ago, Shion, and even then you were the one pretending to be Mion. You were the one who liked me!"

"Oh, you know better than that; you know I love Satoshi-kun!" She proclaimed. "I was just pretending to like you so I could make Onee jealous."

"And _why _would you want to do that?" I inquired.

She shrugged. "I just like picking on her. I have a reason, right? She stole the title of older sister. I mean, don't forget that I'm the real Mion!"

I heard footsteps in the hallway, and Mion soon appeared in the doorway. She walked over to her bookshelf, scanned with her eyes for a moment, and pulled out a manga, and handed it to me. "There! You're free to go, Kei-chan!"

I playfully ruffled her hair. "As if I need your permission!"

She smiled slyly. "Well, of course you do! I _am _the club leader, after all."

We laughed together, and I was glad that she seemed to be acting just like the Mion I've always known again, and that she wouldn't still be acting like that really soft and girly Mion... Don't get me wrong, I like that side of her too. A lot. I'm just used to this Mion. Shion whispered something that I'm pretty sure was "flirting!" and I shot her a glare when Mion wasn't looking.

"Well, Mion, I'll see you tomorrow!" I called as I headed out of her room and began my search for the front door.

"Mmkay!" Her pretty voice sounded behind me. I started walking, and once I was out of her sight, I smiled. _Yeah, I love Mion. A lot._


End file.
